Like many, I’m pretty solidly in the Rao’s camp when I don’t feel like making my own. I did pick up a jar of Carbone’s recently following someone else’s suggestion.
I also think that Aldi’s Priano and Specially Select marinara sauces are pretty good, and was surprised to find neither among the many sauces tested.
Mezzetta is readily available at several stores nearby, but I’ve never had it. Anyone?
Rao’s fan here as well. It’s really the only jar sauce I buy. I stick to Marinara and/or Arrabbiata, haven’t tried the others.
I am still worried about Campbell Soup buying them a couple years ago, but so far it tastes the same to me.
Same. Shelf-stable Alfredo just freaks me out, apart from the fact that it’s not something I eat nearly as often as tomato-based sauces, and I’d rather make my own Alfredo on the rare occasion.
I like Carbone the most lately. Marinara or Tomato Basil.
Rao’s is my next favourite.
Happy with this brand, too.
I usually buy Rao’s, but with their whole plum tomatoes coming from Italy, I wonder if prices will go up in the near future. I’m thinking I might want to stock up at BJ’s Wholesale Club.
I’ve purchased Pomi at my local Ocean State Job Lot, and I like it. Thick, but not with tomato paste. I see Victoria marinara sauce there as well, but haven’t purchased it. Surprised they didn’t include Dave’s Gourmet on the list, as that is nationally available. I’ve not tried their Organic Marinara, but I have had other sauces, and they’re pretty good.
Looks like Mezzetta is in my local Market Basket; will have to try them out.
I do wish Serious Eats had ranked the remaining sauces they taste-tested.
I agree.
Mezzetta has been my go-to for years now. i do admit that part of the reason is that it’s headquartered locally (and jarred locally). but that wouldn’t matter if the taste wasn’t there. it is.
I’ve had products from Mezzetta, but not their sauces. What I’ve tried was quite good so I’d be happy to try the sauce when I see it.
I usually get Bertolli marinara and Paesana vodka sauce and those are the household go-tos.
I do like Aldi’s Priano products in general. Not sure if I’ve had the pasta sauce, but we do enjoy the pasta and ravioli from the brand.
Victoria and Michael’s are also good, but, like Rao’s, I find them a bit expensive for what they are. Prego and Ragu are way too sweet for my taste. Classico is OK, my mom loves it though.
None of these taste like what my grandma taught me to make.
I’ve used Carbone, Mezzetta, and Rao’s and like them all…… but I now prefer Mutti to all three. The article doesn’t even mention it.
I didn’t really care for Rao’s, i’m clearly in the minority. I don’t buy pomodoro sauces, it’s easy to make, and I don’t like beef in pasta sauce, but I do buy the jarred alfredos for quick/party mac and cheese. As did darn near all of you, don’t try to deny it, you all confessed when I did.
So funny, different perspectives…
I never thought of using Alfredo for a mac and cheese (though from your post sounds like I’m in the minority), making a bechamel feels much easier to me than making a good tomato sauce. Will have to give an alfredo mac and cheese a try . . .
Same. I make white sauce 4 or 5 times a month.
I almost never make Italian red pasta sauce from scratch. It’s usually from a jar.
I make a Greek red pasta sauce once in a while, from canned tomatoes.
Not a fan of Rao’s, especially at the price point up north here. I’ve been buying MUTTI lately, it’s usually $6.99-$7.99 a jar compared to $12-$14 for Rao’s, and I find it to be a superior product.
I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t like Raos marinara. I prefer Carbone or Michael’s of Brooklyn. My favorite is La San Marzano, which, since I moved from NY, I have to order online. Rao’s lacks something for me… oomph?
I wasn’t keen on Mutti. I won’t buy it again.
For sauces cheaper than Carbone, I like the small jars of De Ceccco and Aurora sauce, imported from Italy. They both make a Norma sauce in addition to the usual suspects. The Sicilian sauce variety is nice, too.
In Canada, Stefano Faita’s tomato basil and Farm Boy tomato basil are also quite good for a moderately priced jars that are halfway between the cost of Classico/ Ragù and Carbone.
I’m not either. I don’t like any of their products
I don’t mind the canned cherry tomatoes, but I like all the Italian canned cherry tomatoes I’ve purchased, from every brand.
I also use the tomato paste in a tube. Again, any Italian tomato paste in a tube, which sometimes happens to be Mutti. I don’t seek it out.
We picked up a Carbone to do a taste test, although I doubt it’ll be side by side, so… unless it blows our mind we may never find out 
It’s hard to ruin cherry tomatoes! I made a sauce with fresh cherry tomatoes and it,blew me away.
I have a counterpoint to jarred marinara that I’ll offer in case anyone’s interested. With the exception of sauces like a slow-cooked ragu or a no-cook pesto, my go-to is a quick sauce directly in the pan where I’ve cooked the pasta. For me this technique is more satisfying and economical than the jarred sauces.
Basic technique for two servings is this:
Save 1 cup of starchy, salted pasta cooking water before removing your cooked pasta from the pan and draining it. Set aside pasta. I don’t add additional salt to my sauce because this pasta cooking water is already salted.
Using the same pan, sauté onion and/or garlic in olive oil. Add a splash of water if needed to prevent burning or sticking.
When those aromatics are soft but not brown, add about a tablespoon of tomato paste (tube style is easiest). Quickly combine the tomato paste with the aromatics. Continuing to work fast, add dried herbs if using (such as marjoram or rosemary) and crushed red pepper flakes.
Immediately add your desired amount of tomato passata or crushed canned tomatoes (boxed Pomi brand is most accessible to me), combine with the other ingredients, and continue cooking for a few minutes more.
Then add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the reserved cooking water back to the pan, using kitchen tongs to combine the sauce and noodles. Add more cooking water as needed until your sauce reaches the desired consistency. I usually add the entire cup of water because the sauce is easily reduced.
Remove pasta from heat at once when the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Add a drizzle of olive oil or a sliver(s) of butter for additional richness if desired.
Serve and enjoy. We grate cheese on our portions at the table so the cheese isn’t lost in the sauce.
This pan sauce technique is endlessly adaptable with the addition of other ingredients. You probably see where this goes. Turn it into vodka sauce by deglazing the pan with vodka and stirring in heavy cream at the end—though I prefer ricotta. Amp it up by adding in a bunch of mushrooms you’ve previously sautéed with rosemary and garlic. Or sauté fresh tomatoes along with the aromatics and skip/use less passata. Adding a little smoked brisket gives you a ragu-like sauce. And on and on.
Incorporating the pasta cooking water is key, though. Otherwise the consistency and flavor will be lacking.
This started out as kind of a money-saving approach for me. Now I can’t go back.
